For those who haven’t had a chance to pick up a copy, here is a scan of the article I wrote for the upcoming Undertow and Unbroken reunion show at El Corazon. I typed out the body of the article beneath the scans. Read on and see ya in the pit.

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In the past five years, the American hardcore scene has been flooded with reunions. From New York youth crew bands Gorilla Biscuits and Bold to southern California straight edgeflag carriers Strife and Carry On, it seems every few months, another classic band is popping up from the woodwork, ready to take one more swing.

Some call it cashing in; others, just nostalgic fun.

“A reunion is awesome,” says 37-year-old Heiress vocalist John Pettibone before expressing some reservations. “But if you aren’t the same people, it shouldn’t be a reunion. I think it’s corny, I think the kids get ripped off if you’re going against anything you believed in. You’re going back on what this really means. It’s still trying to live in that moment, and it’s just like, ‘No man, you had your time to shine, let it go.’”

Some might see this as a strange statement coming from Pettibone. He is, after all, in the process of reuniting his own classic hardcore band, Undertow.

It was late 1989 when Undertow was born. The band, then known as Refuse, switched around the lineup, moving Pettibone from bassist to vocalist. Together, the Seattle band’s unique driving, heavy anthems allowed them to share diverse bills with everyone from Bikini Kill to Unbroken, Poison Idea to L7. Because there wasn’t much of a distinct straight edge hardcore scene at the time, Pettibone says the band was constantly building one for itself.

“We were the only hardcore band,” Pettibone says. “Brotherhood was gone. All those guys moved on to greener pastures. It was just us and a few of our friends and we rebuilt it from scratch. We had to fight our way onto shows. We had to prove ourselves. Hardcore bands never came here. Judge was sceduled to play - cancelled. Chain of Strength scheduled to play - cancelled.”

Naturally as the four members of Undertow grew older, their musical interests went seperate ways. Some wanted a heavier sound, some wanted to adopt one that was more straight up rock n’ roll. But instead of dragging it on any longer, the band broke up in 1994, allowing the members to pursue other projects. It was three years later, in 1997, that they came together for one more Seattle show alongside the Murder City Devils, Botch and Ensign.

Twelve years after the band stepped off the RCKNDY stage for the last time, all four members - Pettibone, bassist Demian Johnston,  drummer Ryan Murphy and guitarist Mark Holcomb - reunited this past May for the California release show for Burning Fight: The Nineties Hardcore Revolution in Ethics, Politics, Spirit and Sound, a book author Brian Peterson spent the past five years writing.

The night before the big show, Undertow and longtime friends Unbroken played a surprise set at San Diego D.I.Y venue Che Cafe. As Pettibone describes, the room was so packed that dozens of hardcore kids stood outside and watched through the windows.

“I turned around and looked out and it was honestly like a San Diego show from 15 years back,” Pettibone says. “All of our old friends, everyone over 30, moshing and going crazy - just a little slower but with the same energy.”

And this was after only two full practices.

“We just set up, looked at each other and went into it, no dialogue, no nothing, just like, ‘Let’s do it like we used to play.’”

The band is now gearing up for a Seattle show in early October. The show, to be held at El Corazon with fellow hardcore acts Unbroken, Strain, Balance of the World, Marginal Way and the Helm, will most likely be the bands last last show. After all, Pettibone, who also counts the now-defunct band Himsa on his resume, isn’t interested in cashing in.

“Singing it meant just as much a few months ago as it did 15 years ago,” Pettibone says. “This stipulation has always stuck with me. If there was a kid out there who was so touched by who Undertow was to them and I did something messed up and bummed that kid out, as weird as it sounds, that just leaves a foul taste in my mouth. That’s what bands and vocalists meant to me, they changed my life for the better. So I wanted to remain that person.”

A portion of the proceeds from the Seattle show will benefit bassist Demian Johnston, whose wife was recently laid off, creating financial hardships that have been compounded by the fact that he also has a newborn son. Pettibone says he saw the show as an oppurtunity to help out a former bandmate in need.

Beyond the help he is receiving from the show, Johnston sees the reunion as a chance to reconnect with old friends. As the youngest member of Undertow, he was still a teenager when they toured up and down the West Coast.

“If we were still an active band and we were still playing these songs and there was still that age group of 15-to-20 year-olds at each show, I’d feel a little weird about it,” Johnston says. “But being how I’ve got a lot of people in their 30’s and 40’s messaging me saying, ‘I’m gonna be there dude,’ just makes it feel like it’s going to be another extension of that fun family reunion vibe.”

2:19
Dyme Def
Fisher Green Stage
Live backing bands seem to be the order of the festival for all hip hop performances thus far, and all dozen or so band members on this rainy Seattle sunday were outfitted in Dyme Def’s trademark Mr. Yuck shirts; a good look. The instrumental adaptation was done fairly well, although the sound quality at the Fisher Green Stage was lacking once again. Unfazed, the three bad brothas rocked their set with the old school swagger their fans have grown to expect; one of the better hip hop performances so far.

2:44
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Mainstage
Karen O is a rock star; a performer to the core (although some might describe her mis-matched outfits this day as “hideous”). With an on stage presence rivaling Mick Jagger’s swag, the vocalist writhed seductively on stage, deep throated the bright pink microphone on several occasions, and appeared to command the other musicians to play their parts with an outstretched arm. The YYYs played a healthy mix of new and old material, and the audience sang nearly every word. Confetti rained from the stage and a pair of giant inflatable eye balls were thrown out into the crowd. This show will be tough to top.

5:50
Common Market
Fisher Green Stage
About a dozen theatrical performers dressed in gothic convict regalia joined emcee Ra Scion (dressed himself as a homeless man) on stage for probably the most bizarre performance of the day. Although the music was as powerful and genuine as ever, the symbolism appeared to be lost on much of the crowd. “Are you feeling what this whole production is about?” asked Ra to a somewhat bewildered crowd. Met with only scattered applause, he continued “I don’t care if you are or not, just put your hand in the air.” Ra commanded the performers on a number of occasions to complete grueling tasks like digging (imaginary) ditches, and chopping (imaginary) wood, until a man in a suit appeared and strangled Ra who then laid on the stage for a good five minutes as a ballerina danced around him. The show ended with the singing of “happy birthday” for Ra Scion’s daughter Madison; some of the only crowd participation offered up. While not a bad performance by any means, it wasn’t quite the captivating, high energy show that most expected.

6:36
Sleepy Eyes of Death
EMP Sky Church
The Sleepy Eyes of Death sounded very cold and inhuman compared to Common Market’s take on the sociopolitical. A very clean, digital sound, SEOD’s slow build ups and grandiose payoffs could have been used as the soundtrack for an epic film about life in the future (would have been perfect for GATTACA). The bright visuals flashing behind the band played along perfectly with the different moods traversed. An amazing, explosive show.

8:04
D Black w/ Spaceman
EMP Skychurch
Spaceman (pronounced “Space…MAN!”) rocked the crowd with DJ Swerveone for a couple of songs, jumping into the crowd and delivering his verses with his patented roar until it was time to watch the big man move. As good a dancer as he is an emcee, D Black played almost his entire new album for the moderately sized crowd. Coming off as incredibly soulful and well spoken, Black talked with the audience through his songs, telling stories about how his life has changed with the birth of his child, and a new devotion to his religion. Left feeling good about life.

11:21 (After Show)
Clam Hammer
Nectar
When the satin-voiced Raphael Saadiq played the audience out into the neighborhood, many headed home to their families and pets; Tom Clancy novels and glasses of merlot. Some however, made the trip to Nectar to see a late punk show. “You could’ve done anything with your sunday night, but for some reason you decided to be here with us,” yelled Clam Hammer bassist Freddie Monroe in between songs. The band chugged beer, free styled, played the tail end of the show in their boxers, and above all: rocked. The guitar work (Patrick Dwyer) was incredible; part of the reason for their cult success. At some point, it got late; the bar stopped serving, people hailed cabs, and the music faded away…until tomorrow.

5:06pm
Akimbo
EMP Skychurch
After a “quick” and “painless” check in at the press room, it was a beeline to the EMP Skychurch to witness Akimbo summon the metal gods. On stage, the band seemed less like a functional unit than it did a firing squad of three hurling fistfuls of sound at each other as the audience looked on. Flailing, spitting, almost tripping over pedals, the band barreled through their set list, until bassist/vocalist Josh Weisnewski said finally “We forgot all our other songs, so we’ll do a cover,” and pounded out a Black Flag song; a fitting segue to their Black Flag tribute night at the Comet next week. When asked how he felt about the set after the show, guitarist Aaron Walters said only “F**king awesome.” Right you are Aaron. TODD HAMM

6:10pm
U-N-I
Fisher Green Stage
Wildly bouncing around the stage with only one shoe on and an ear to ear grin, Y-O suddenly stops and pretends to listen to the crowd. “Oh, they say they want somethin’ cool,” he says, and continues to put on a performance as untamable as his whale-fin mohawk. The SoCal duo (the other half being Thurzday) playfully taunt each other on stage until finally hurling themselves into the crowd in front of the stage, pulling off crowd surfing maneuvers that would make Kelly Slater proud. The music itself was a blend of dub step grooves and neck snapping boom bap with Kube 93’s DJ Hyphen behind the wheels. TODD HAMM

8:13pm
Old 97’s
Mainstage
The Old 97’s are good at what they do: delivering downright bouncy rhythms with a country twang that occasionally drift into 50’s style boy band swoonery. Probably the happiest show of the night, the floor was alive with dance, and the mood could not have been lighter (although frontman Rhett Miller refused to play the “Gift of a Kidney” song he played on a recent episode of 30 Rock, citing copy write laws). The 97’s brought out their rocking shoes for a song or two, but than it was right back to story time, where there’s always a train to catch, a girl to sing to, whisky in the cupboard, and everything is always alright.

8:56pm
Elvis Perkins
Northwest Court Stage
After playing “Chains, Chains, Chains” from Elvis Perkins in Dearland, released earlier this year, Perkins brought out Mat Maust from the Cold War Kids (playing today) to play on a new song. “He is going to attempt to play bass on a song he has never heard before…. This here is a rock ‘n’ roll about the birth of rock ‘n’ roll, as if it was happening right now.” The song “Stop, Drop and Rock ‘N’ Roll” was just that, a Chuck Berry-style rocker with a bedrock in the blues. A far cry from the elegiac folk music Perkins is best known for, but consistent with Perkins’ rangy exploration of pop history in his own music and, it should be said, style. While the attire he wore onstage for his year’s Bumbershoot recalled Desire-era Dylan, Perkins first hit clubs, playing the tremendous “Ash Wednesday,” while looking like Buddy Holly. He is an artist searching. As if to puncuate this point, he and his able band went straight into another new one after the rocker called “Sacred Hearts,” an honest-to-God spiritual. Miles away from anything else they played, but it fit like a glove. MARK BAUMGARTEN

9:51pm
De La Soul
Fisher Green Stage
Celebrating the 20 year anniversary of their landmark “conscious hop” debut 3 Feet High and Rising, De La brought a huge production to the open air Fisher Green Stage. Although the sound man struggled with the levels through much of the set, making the lyrics almost inaudible for several of the songs, the show was nothing short of awe inspiring. The three high school friends recounted much of their long journey to this point, ad-libbing with an ease that made it seem like the entire audience was packed into their living room. It’s hard to go wrong when every other song you play is somebody’s favorite. TODD HAMM

9:53pm
The Long Winters
Broad Street Stage
In what was a clear return to form after a somewhat subdued performance at the Doe Bay Festival earlier this summer, Long Winters frontman John Roderick had a high joke-to-song ratio going on the Broad Sreet Stage. “We’ve taken something of a hiatus so that Eric and I could grow our hair out,” Roderick said, referring to his longtime and fellow longhaired bandmate Eric Corson. Roderick went on to say that the band is currently recording its next record, a follow-up to 2006’s Putting the Days to Bed, and is will finish just “as soon as Eric finishes writing the lyrics.” Roderick, the band’s true lyricist, has been having trouble deciding on his lyrical verse. Work is being done, though, as evidenced by a new track the band debuted. After a false start that mutated into a bit of blues wankery, the band started in on a track that is markedly different from what the band has created before. Most striking was the songs structure, built entirely around a clean, bright and repetitive guitar line from Corson that never once deviated from its set path. Someone, it seems, as been playing with a looping peddle while writing his songs. While the song needs a bit of life breathed into it instrumentally, the lyrics are coming around. “Hope has got me by the throat.” Roderick sang towards the end, “the bicycles dream about their breaks.”
The show also served as drummer Nabil Ayers final Long Winters show. While the drummer has already lived in New York for more than a year, Ayers was still a semi-official member of the band. With his recent hire at 4AD Records, though, the drummer will be hanging up his sticks permanently. Roderick gave him a fitting farewell, leading the band through Ayers final request, a rousing rendition of “The Sound of Coming Down” off of 2003’s When I Pretend to Fall. MARK BAUMGARTEN

11:16pm
The After Party
Somewhere
A “bring your own liquor” affair at an undisclosed location featuring Grynch, The Physics, Xperience, and The Productionists. The attendees, which consisted mainly of town hip hop artists and close friends, were visibly haggard from a full day of Bumbershooting, yet were in that mystical half drunk state of delirium which left them in prime condition to “wild out” and “act a fool” until the wee hours of the morning. Under the radar, beneath the haze of the evening, music flowed from the stage of this unorthodox venue for hours until the sun threatened to creep above city skyline…and only then was the night over. TODD HAMM

Bus Driver
Bus Driver’s new album, Jhelli Beam, is a collection of lyrical wall hangings blistered by the sun rays of the emcee’s super human rhyming ability. Akin to the messages and emotional positioning of color and texture found in Jean Michel Basquiat’s paintings, Bus Driver’s style may first seem erratic or overindulgent, yet upon closer examination appear quite simple and of a direct nature that is insightful and honest. (JA) Chop Suey

John Legend
Even if you’re not a dedicated R&B listener, chances are high you’ve heard one of John Legend’s songs over the past decade. Legend contributed vocals for several of the tracks on Kanye West’s album College Drop-Out, and scored production in return from West for his award-winning debut album Get Lifted. He’s worked with Common, Raphael Saadiq, Will.I.Am and Andre 3000. Most recently, the silky-voiced, six-time Grammy winning star’s singles from his third album, Evolver, dominated pop radio airwaves for months in the fall of 2008. Another hit record from Estelle that dropped around the same time featured Legend on a couple tracks, including the memorable “American Boy.” All Legend, all the time (at least for a few months). It’s no surprise. New material from one of the big names in contemporary R&B, especially from one who’s been under West’s golden, imperturbable wing since getting signed to G.O.O.D. Music in 2004, was bound to make a splash or two. (KH) Mayhill Winery

Also Saturday:

Haven’t we been through this before? In 2001, Harvey Danger broke up after lukewarm sales of their second album, King James Version. They got back together in 2004, playing to ecstatic crowds and releasing 2005’s Little by Little… But this previous false alarm does little to lessen the pain that the beloved band is yet again calling it quits. Superfans and casual listeners (after all, who hasn’t heard “Flagpole Sitta”?) alike will mourn the passing of this Seattle power-pop institution … until next time. (JMG) Crocodile

Avett Brothers/Heartless Bastards
The Avett Brothers are one of the most buzzed-about bands on the indie folk circuit these days. Pulling influence as much from traditional music as the boisterous groundbreaking spirit of indie rock, the Avetts bounce and rock around the stage so much you can’t help but join in. Slightly lesser known, Heartless Bastards are on the rougher edge of alternative country. Both bands surprised and impressed new fans at Sasquatch! earlier this summer, and will undoubtedly turn the Paramount into a party house. (KR) Paramount

The Pretenders
Suck it, Gwen! Suck it, Blondie and Pat Benatar! Suck it, Demi Lovato, whoever you are! This summer’s girl-powered show to see is none other than rock goddess Chrissie Hynde and the Pretenders, joined by the bluesy Cat Power and the boozy Juliette Lewis. Wrapping up their nearly eight-month-long tour in support of Break up the Concrete, the legendary Pretenders will play all their hits tonight, new and old, as Ms. Hynde vamps and shreds under the stars. Sounds absolutely perfect. (KS) Marymoor Park

Bat For Lashes
Like M.I.A. or Bjork, Bat For Lashes mastermind Natasha Khan’s magnetic personality and exotic heritage (hailing from Britain, she lived in Pakistan as a child) gives her a mysterious allure. Backed by members of Yeasayer on her latest record, Two Suns, her international pop could have come straight out of the ‘80s. Khan’s vocals and song style resemble those of Kate Bush, while the dancey synths on single “Daniel” sound like a long-lost Cure classic. (JMG) Neumos

The Webelos, Grand Lake, Origami Ghosts
All of the bands on this lineup play honest-to-God pop tunes supported by a flying buttress bricked with charm and talent. As well, it’s a relief that each band depends on their material as opposed to gimmicks for attention and a fanbase. Origami Ghosts boast different shades of folk and pop, Grand Lakes’ progression and rhythm will quicken the tip of the beer glass, and Seattle’s Webelos will take their simple songs and show you that simple, when done right, can be the most complex of affairs. (JA) Comet

Project Pitchfork
Germany’s Project Pitchfork has dominated the “electro-goth/scary-ass motherf***ers” scene for well over a decade now. And with the February release of their sixth studio album, Dream, Tiresias!, it doesn’t look like they’ll be exiting our collective consciousness (nor our nightmares) anytime soon. This is the band’s first trip back to the states in years, so come on down to El Corazon, if only for the sheer novelty of it all. (KS) El Corazon